gratification
Americannoun
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the act of gratifying or the state of being gratified
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something that gratifies
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an obsolete word for gratuity
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gratification
First recorded in 1590–1600, gratification is from the Latin word grātificātiōn- (stem of grātificātiō ). See gratify, -ation
Explanation
Pleasure is gratification, whether it’s given or received. Everyone has desires, and when those desires get fulfilled, that’s gratification. You’re reading this sentence to understand the word gratification, and soon you’ll know it back and forth, which will give you a feeling of gratification. The word comes from the Latin gratificari, meaning “give or do as a favor,” and a deeper root is gratus, which means “pleasing, thankful.” Doing a favor for someone is a surefire ways to create a sense of gratification, both for them and for yourself, being such a kind, giving person.
Vocabulary lists containing gratification
Trumps
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Deferred gratification is the hardest thing in the world,” she said.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
Before passing sentence, Judge Jessica Peterson told Chasing Horse he preyed on women's spirituality, adding: "You manipulated them for your own personal gratification."
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
“And those individuals who prey on children for their own sexual gratification will be identified, they will be arrested, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026
"The sense of gratification I felt when we rallied around an agenda and got results made me feel like this is what I want," Thapa said of his start as a student activist.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
We were permitted newspapers and read with gratification of the waves of indignation aroused by our arrests.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
